Virginia Wesleyan University will change its name to Batten University in July 2026 to honor longtime donors Jane Batten and her late husband, Frank Batten. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously in favor of the name change. The Batten family has funded major campus projects including the $22 million Jane P. Batten Student Center, the $80.3 million endowed Batten Honors College and the $20 million Greer Environmental Sciences Center. The family supports eight Batten professors and provides 80 full scholarships plus 80 three-quarter scholarships annually. University spokespeople declined to disclose the family's total giving. Jane Batten also donated $100 million to William & Mary in 2024.
Virginia Wesleyan University will change its name to Batten University in July 2026 to honor longtime university donor Jane Batten and her late husband, Frank Batten, co-founder of The Weather Channel, university officials announced Wednesday. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously in favor of the name change. The Batten name is already all over the Virginia Beach campus, which first opened its doors in 1961.
The family has gifted millions to the university since their daughter Mary enrolled in 1978, contributing funds to the $22 million Jane P. Batten Student Center, the $80.3 million endowed Batten Honors College and the $20 million Greer Environmental Sciences Center, to name a few projects. Each year, the Battens also support eight Batten professors and provide 80 students with full scholarships and another 80 students with three-quarter scholarships.
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